As the trees around town bloom, Watertown’s arts scene is bursting with life this weekend, with a mix of music, theater, arts, plants, and fish. One of the biggest cultural events, Watertown Porchfest, returns on Saturday afternoon with hundreds of venues across the city. Head to Gore Place to hear some music and also pick up some plants. The annual plant sale runs Friday to Sunday. See the new additions to the Community Sculpture Walk and meet the artists on Saturday. Celebrate the spring migration of herring up the Charles River at the 2026 Herring Festival on Sunday. And, from Friday to Sunday, the Watertown Children’s Theatre presents “Amelie: Teen Edition.”
WATERTOWN PORCHFEST
Saturday, May 16, noon-6 p.m.
Various locations around town
Watertown’s third annual Porchfest returns! Porchfest is an afternoon of free music performed outside of people’s homes – on porches, patios, driveways, and lawns. Join us from 12-6 at 83+ different locations hosting over 203 performances! Including 5 block party locations! Our biggest year yet.
This is a rain or shine event, so spread the good vibes for nice weather.
See the lineup and locations: Click here
PLANT SALE at GORE PLACE
Friday, May 15 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, May 17, 9 a.m.-noon
249 Waltham St. Entrance
Fill your garden with vegetable transplants, locally grown on the Farm at Gore Place. Choose from many varieties of hard-to-find heirloom and hybrid tomatoes, as well as peppers, eggplants, and herbs. Back this year: customer-favorite marigolds! This year’s sale takes place in-person, on-site at our Farm; there will be no online sales this year.
It’s not just the great plants that make this sale special: Farmer Scott has been growing vegetables for almost 50 years. He has deep knowledge of these varieties and is onsite and ready to share! According to Scott, “We get lots of return customers. They count on us to provide the rare varieties that commercial nurseries don’t carry.”
The sale will take place on the Farm and there will be plenty of free parking (enter at 249 Waltham Street)
For more information: Click here
COMMUNITY SCULPTURE WALK RECEPTION
Saturday, May 16, 11 a.m.-noon
Begins at Saltonstall Park (Behind City Hall, 149 Main St.)
The City of Watertown is proud to announce the installation of four new contemporary sculptures as part of the ongoing Community Sculpture Walk. To celebrate these new additions to the city’s landscape, a public opening reception. The event will begin where the Community Path starts at Saltonstall Park, located next to the Thaxter Street municipal parking lot behind the Watertown Free Public Library.
The reception offers a unique opportunity for residents and visitors to meet the artists behind the work. Attendees will enjoy a live performance by one of Watertown’s talented school bands while walking the path to view the new installations. The featured artists will be on hand to discuss their creative processes, the materials used, and the inspirations behind their pieces.
For more information: Click here
HERRING FESTIVAL
Sunday, May 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Watertown Dam, 64 Pleasant St.
Each spring, the Charles River becomes a vital spawning ground for diadromous fish species such as the Alewife, Blueback Herring, American Shad, and Rainbow Smelt. These fish are key players in the local ecosystem and are a historical representation of Indigenous food sovereignty and cultural ways of life. Join us for our annual celebration of fish migration to honor the herring with an afternoon of free, family fun!
This year, the Charles River Watershed Association is also premiering a community artwork titled “River Run”, developed in collaboration with muralist Sophy Tuttle. This piece is inspired and informed by the Indigenous experience with dams, including Watertown Dam, and the negative impacts they caused.
For more information: Click here
AMELIE: TEEN EDITION
Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 16 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday, May 17 at 2 p.m.
Watertown Children’s Theatre, Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St.
In this whimsical musical adaptation of the romantic comedy film, an extraordinary young woman improvises small but surprising acts of kindness. This production features performers in grades 9–12.
Special Event: The May 16, 7 p.m. performance will be Alumni Night, followed by a post-show alumni reception.
For more information: Click here